Human rights activist and noted columnist Harsh Mander on Friday sharply criticised the Centre for repealing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), calling it an “anti-poor step” that benefits a handful of industrialists at the cost of millions of rural workers.
Speaking at a public discussion at Lohia Academy here, Mander said: “This country belongs to all and not a few industrialists like Adani and Ambani.” He described MGNREGA as one of independent India’s most important social legislations.
“The MGNREGA was an instrument for the empowerment of women. It was crucial in making rural markets vibrant. It was a source of meaningful, dignified labour that provided essential financial independence and sustained livelihood,” he said.
Calling the act a unique and historic statute, Mander underlined that it provided a legal guarantee of employment. “By repealing MNREGA, you have taken away the livelihood of the poor, marginalised workers and rural women. Everyone should know that the right to live with dignity is a fundamental right,” he added.
The activist also criticised the shift of decision-making powers away from local bodies. “Earlier, the panchayat was deciding the nature of work and the developmental projects to be undertaken in the panchayat. It was the people who were involved in the developmental process of the area. But now the Centre will decide the nature of work and where the works will be executed,” he said.
Mander pointed out that MGNREGA, along with the National Food Security Act, played a critical role in saving millions of lives during the COVID-19 lockdown. “The MGNREGA was also protecting people from falling victim to the bonded labour concept and it saved them from the clutches of the labour contractor by giving a guarantee to provide employment at the village level. Now we are systematically killing all these things to help a few,” he rued.
“We are no longer being treated as citizens but as subjects. That is the misfortune of the country,” Mander said. He alleged that over the years, a systematic effort was made to weaken the scheme by not providing adequate funds and by deliberately delaying fund releases. “The new law was made to restrict, dismantle and repeal the original demand-driven spirit of the law,” he said.
Mander also criticised the renaming of the act as the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Aajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, 2025. “Why this anger against the name of Gandhi?” he asked, alleging that the RSS harboured deep resentment towards Mahatma Gandhi for his inclusive vision and belief that “Iswara Allah Ek Hai.”
He appealed to people to raise their voices against the government’s move to do away with MGNREGA.